The NBA has an incredible amount of young talent and it is a challenge to keep up with it. Perhaps the best ‘young’ NBA player is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and he has flown under the radar compared to Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns.
Jokic is in his second season in the NBA and is averaging 16 points per game. What’s more, since moving to the starting lineup in December, he has taken his game to another level, by averaging close to 21 points per game, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in nearly 30 minutes. Compare this season’s numbers to last season’s numbers and in many key stats and he is over performing. For example, he is averaging about 5 more points per game this season vs. his rookie year.
Considering he is just a sophomore, the Nuggets offense partly revolves around Jokic. He doesn’t collect assists the traditional way where big men are double teamed and kick the ball to the corner. He is a good interior passer, but excels from outside the 3-point line where he can hit his teammates running to the hoop for easy layups thanks to defenders respecting his range.
Jokic plays basketball in it’s purest form. Furthermore, he is not on the court just to benefit himself and if you ask the Yugoslavia native, whether he likes passing or scoring better, he responded, “Passing makes two people happy. Scoring only makes one person happy.” Ask him how he feels about filling the stat sheet? “The game is more important than your name.”
Unlike many NBA players, his comments on the importance of functioning as a team separate himself and aren’t just talk and no action. “That kid is gonna get paid a lot if he just keeps the course, because he just brings a different aspect,” said Kenneth Faried. “He can step out and shoot the three. He makes his free throws down the stretch. He plays great defense. Rebounds the ball. He’s just coming into his own.”
He understands the game as well as any 22-year old sophomore and that has been noticed by his teammates and coaches. “He has a very high IQ for a young player who has been in the league one year,” Coach Mike Malone said. “He’s a step ahead. He knows where the defense is and where the cut is going to be.”
When the Nuggets played in London last month, former NBA player Isiah Thomas compared Jokic to an NBA great.“He reminds me of Magic Johnson,” Thomas said as he sat court side in London with the Nuggets’ television broadcast. Considering he is only 22, Jokic has shown incredible maturity in his game and it is refreshing to see a new NBA player not being overconfident early in his career. In the past, the league has had too many newcomers who have put their own ego over the game. It is a common mistake that in order to garner a real fan base, the way Jokic has gone about it is the wrong way to do so. Thus far, he has proven that you don’t have to have a big ego and be a ‘fan favorite.’
ryanhackman1026 